竹篮打水,一场空 zhú lán dǎ shuǐ , yī cháng kōng

DEFINITIONS

  1. using a wicker basket to draw water (idiom); wasted effort

CHARACTERS

竹 zhú bamboo; flute; KangXi radical 118
篮 lán basket
打 dǎ strike, hit, beat; fight; attack
水 shuǐ water, liquid, lotion, juice
一 yī one; a, an; alone
场 cháng open space, field, market
空 kōng empty, hollow, bare, deserted